Joaquin Phoenix began acting at a very young age. His first acting role was offered to him when he was just eight years old. This has left many people wondering about his educational life.
Joaquin Phoenix did not go to college. In fact, the actor was only homeschooled for some of high school, and he ended up dropping out of the education system all together in ninth grade.
Joaquin Phoenix’s childhood was a unique one—it involved a lot of travelling, an interesting religious cult background, and an early introduction to acting. He was born to American parents, but spent much of his early years travelling around Central and Southern America.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Family History
Joaquin Phoenix was born in Puerto Rico and spent a few years travelling around South America before his family eventually made their way to the United States.
After a short time in Miami, Florida, Joaquin Phoenix and his four siblings ended up in California. It took his parents some time to get a job and in the meanwhile, he and his siblings performed on the streets for money.
Creating and performing song and dance routines, Joaquin and his siblings River, Rain, Liberty, and Summer were able to earn money that helped his family survive.
At the ripe age of eight, Joaqyin’s mother, Arlyn (Heart) used her job at NBC to put her children in touch with an agent. River was the first to get picked up for an acting gig, and Joiquin followed shortly after.
In 1984, Joaquin starred in the movie Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (in which his brother River also had a role).
Quickly becoming a busy childhood actor, like most of his other siblings, Joaquin began a very alternative style of schooling. For the most part this meant short periods of time in traditional classrooms, mixed with homeschooling, and supplemented many times with tutoring that took place on film sets.
Joaquin’s career really picked up and the actor never graduated high school. He’s one of many famous actors who did not go to college.